the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, what was supposed to be a long-awaited Ridgewood athletic field development has now become an environmental controversy—and a financial burden for local taxpayers. According to a New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) investigation, soil containing mercury and lead above legal limits was trucked into the proposed field site at the Zabriskie-Schedler property on West Saddle River Road, prompting immediate remediation requirements.
Contaminated Soil Found at Ridgewood’s Zabriskie-Schedler Property
The Village of Ridgewood has been working since 2009 to transform the Zabriskie-Schedler property into a usable athletic field. But in 2024, the NJDEP halted progress after finding hazardous contaminants in imported soil, including elevated levels of mercury and lead—both known to pose serious health risks if improperly managed.
According to official documents reviewed by Kane In Your Corner (KIYC), the contaminated dirt was sourced from six separate construction sites, two of which were later determined to have unusable, polluted soil. What’s troubling: soil testing was reportedly conducted before the dirt was brought in, raising red flags about why it was approved for use in the first place.
Community Voices Health & Safety Concerns
Residents living near the athletic field site are understandably alarmed.
“We are scared about our health and our safety and our well-being,” said Cynthia Keefe, a Ridgewood resident.
“I’m very fearful of my well,” added Linda Marticek. “I just don’t want anybody else getting hurt or getting sick or worse.”
While Ridgewood Village Manager Keith Kazmark stressed that “there is no public health concern” and the NJDEP has not ordered the site closed to the public, trust among residents appears to be shaken.
Taxpayers on the Hook for $1.5 Million Cleanup
Since the village is legally responsible for the contamination, taxpayers are now facing a $1.5 million remediation bill. The cost will be included in a $4.99 million municipal bond expected to be voted on by the Ridgewood Village Council this week.
“It’s like, ‘Let’s just clean up this mess that we made, no big deal’. No one’s held accountable,” said Amy McCambridge, expressing frustration over the lack of transparency and oversight.
A Controversial Project from the Start
The Zabriskie-Schedler athletic field has been contentious since its proposal. Opposition has stemmed from:
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The field’s size
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The use of artificial turf
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Its proximity to a historic landmark
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Environmental impact concerns
With the contamination crisis and rising costs, community division over the field’s future is only likely to deepen.
🗓 What’s Next for Ridgewood’s Field Project?
Under NJDEP orders, Ridgewood must fully remediate the contaminated soil by 2030, meaning the athletic field—already over a decade in planning—faces even longer delays before completion.
Summary
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Project Site: Zabriskie-Schedler Property, Ridgewood, NJ
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Issue: Contaminated soil with mercury and lead
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Agencies Involved: NJDEP, Ridgewood Village Council
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Taxpayer Cost: $1.5M (part of a $4.99M bond)
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Completion Timeline: Remediation required by 2030
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Controversy: Environmental risk, financial accountability, and community concerns
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See
KIYC: Toxic situation surrounds development of a Ridgewood athletic field
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It is time to abandon this project. It is no longer feasible with the added cost to remove hazardous materials.
Great PR for the Village!
Memo to Paulie, Siobhan, and The Bond King Evan:
Let it go.
You’ve lost.
This is embarrassing now.
You’re turning the town into a (literal) toxic Jersey joke statewide.
All the locations that donated the dirty dirt should be responsible for a portion of the clean up fees Ridgewood was negligent however taxpayers are on the hook for 1.5 million? Doesn’t seem like a fair equation.
That’s not how it works in the real world unfortunately.
In retrospect, perhaps the Village Engineer should have tested the soil beforehand?
#clownshow
It’s all his fault. He need to go.
Evan must be very happy, another bond.
Free Money!
Someone needs to go to jail
The wrong use of a small piece of property, with a high pricetag, next to a high-speed highway, in a town with plenty of underutilized fields. A true boondoggle is defined as “a wasteful or impractical project or activity, often involving graft or deception.” That just about sums it up.
The soil was tested and approved for delivery by the village engineer. He should be given a tea spoon and told to remove all his contaminated soil if he wants a pension.
His pension and a huge salary cut should go toward the price of the clean up. Maybe a lean against one of his homes
Same thing happened at Orchard Elementary School!
Nobody talks about it anymore…
But isn’t the contamination all more the reason to push forward with the sports field? Otherwise it’s just going to sit as a contaminated wasteland. The sports field project creates the will for remediation.
not really. Ridgewood doesn’t even use the fields it has. Drive around on any given weekend. Lots of availability. It is a shiny new toy for the sports teams because Paul Siobhan and Evan promised it to them. They want shiny new plastic grass like the big field over in glen rock.
Except Habernickel park I see large buses there all the time a ton of people paying to go to that house and garden. Paying. I see lacrosse cars blocking the road way and soccer and baseball all the time. Cars in and out of that park all day line. Especially after school and in the weekends
Don’t worry, village manager Kazmark responsible to make sure Healthbarn isn’t breaking terms of the lease, oh wait, she friend of da mayor. never mind.
To clean then recontaminate with PFAS crumb rubber makes no sense.
Winograd, Weitz, Vagianos and now the bee idiot all pushing for artificial turf on that property. Morons.
Ridgewood does not need any more fields. There are so many. What about all of these sports organizations, supposedly non profit, but heck they make a lot of money that they have plenty to give back to the village because they are the ones using the fields and Nancy Bigos and that nitwit Matt her sidekick can barely figure out how to manage the fields so they are all out of whack. Seems like a simple project management assignment and certainly cannot be rocket science. instead of half of the nonsense the village spends on, why not invest in doing it the right way.
Why did they just spend almost 1/2 a million at Habernickel for that ugly pavilion when this huge situation was on the horizon? Where did the 4 million go that went to Healthbarn?
$4.7 million. Inquiring minds want to know!
Who was actually given that money? Whose name on that check???
Probably the Healthbarn organization that is now entwined running a private business over at Habernickle. Ramon Hache was also involved as was Paul Vagianos in Feed the Frontlines. Most of the supposed meals went to Fairview apparently but there. is no way to prove it.
Well you ppl can afford it cause you’re Rich and Stupid lol
Ridgewood not looking too good these days. Some of the most contaminated soil and water in the nation.
Forget about that idiotic sports field! It’s like something out of Kafka already.
James can you cover the fact that the new village manager is extremely rude to residents who speak up?
Why? Everyone knows he got this job because he was Vagianos puppet. .. then why does he have this ego and superiority complex?
The new Roberta
It is cringe-worthy for sure when watching YouTube for a recap of the meetings. His behavior has got to be halted and he looks like he is so unhappy with anyone living near the Schedler property. All of us as taxpayers pay this guys salary and for him to unleash on them just doesn’t seem appropriate and is outrageous. Can’t he control his behavior especially during public meetings. No one cares about his opinion and he is there to do a job and run the village.
How many houses does the engineer own. And people talk about his huge salary how much is his salary? I could imagine the stipends he’s receiving to. Hanging out we’re talking about 1.5 million to remove the soil today. That’s what they said on channel 5 news last night. Can you imagine every year they wait the price goes up, and guess one the village still doesn’t know what’s going to happen with any lawsuits coming in from employees that were working at that site. Were they contaminated we all just don’t know. Do we.
60×90 fields are barely used anymore…this is Field Envy and nothing more.
Village leadership clearly wants to avoid responsibility for this fiasco. As for holding the sources of the contaminated soil accountable don’t see them pursuing that because they are just as liable. Their easy way out is to place the burden on taxpayers.
$1.5 million to clean this up is a slap in the face to RW taxpayers. Probably not the final amount either.
This has been going on way too long. The reality is that no one from the main side of Ridgewood is going to go over and use that park on a continual basis. Oh sure in the beginning they will act like it is a shiny new penny, but in reality, it is too far away and the thought of our kids playing on a highway is gross. This council thinks they are doing something great for the community. I am sure it won’t be used.
I’m not sure that’s an issue.
Ho-Ho-Kus has fields on Route 17 and they are a much richer, nicer and better run town than Ridgewood is in 2025.
That 1.5 million needs to be removed from the budget. Go after the sources.
On News 12 New Jersey –
https://newjersey.news12.com/kiyc-toxic-situation-surrounds-development-of-a-ridgewood-athletic-field
Still years away from resolution and construction. With K-12 enrollments declining 8% by 2031 and another 7% by 2041 this extra field is not needed.